CVD News Watch for the Weekend, July 25

Have a great weekend!

CVD nutrition watch

Margarine, pastry producers slow to reduce trans-fat levels: task force

Some food companies are resistant to lowering the trans-fat content of the food they sell, according to a task force formed by Health Canada and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Some of these food companies are listed in this CBC News report.

CVD pollution watch

Beijing pollution may trigger heart attacks, strokes among spectators

In this podcast, two professors of medicine at the Northwestern University, Dr. Gokhan Mutlu and Dr. Scott Budinger discuss the health risks that visitors to the Beijing Olympics might encounter. It’s not only the athletes who are in danger, it’s the spectators as well.

CVD biotech watch

Researchers grow human blood vessels in mice from adult progenitor cells

Another first! Researchers at Harvard have developed human blood vessels from adult blood and bone marrow stem cells for the first time. And they work. The blood vessels have been successfully implanted in mice.

CVD weight loss watch

Limiting fructose may boost weight loss

Researchers at the UT Southwester Medical Center report that less fructose in our diet can help get rid of those extra pounds. Fructose occurs naturally in fruits and has always been thought to be a healthier alternative to table sugar. Some food products, especially beverages use this as artificial sweetener. Now we know better.

CVD fitness watch

Exercise could be the heart’s fountain of youth

Previous research studies have shown that exercise can delay, even reverse aging. It is also known that the heart deteriorates with age. Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine studied how exercise can affect the heart – with very encouraging results. Endurance exercise seems to keep the heart younger! More about exercise next week.

CVD patient watch

Heart Surgery Survivor Looks Forward to Motherhood

Heart surgery survivor Rebecca Venis was diagnosed with a bad aortic valve at the age of 8. She underwent human aortic valve transplant in 2000. The graft started leaking and she underwent another surgery, this time a pig valve replacement. This one seems to work well and Rebecca is back to running and mountain climbing. It might even now be possible for her to get pregnant.

CVD treatment watch

Scientists suspect omega-3 fatty acids could slow acute wound healing

They are supposedly good for the heart, but this popular fish oil used by many as nutritional supplement seems to slow down wound healing, according to researchers at the Ohio State University. In their research, they compared the healing process of blister wounds of people taking omega-3 supplements compared to those taking only placebo. Although healing seemed to have proceeded almost at the same time in the two groups, something different was observed at the cellular level. There were more proteins associated with initiating and sustaining inflammation observed in the blister fluid of those who were taking the active supplement. The researchers expected exactly the opposite and are still trying to figure out the mechanisms behind this.

These findings are very significant because many heart patients are on omega-3 supplementation. If healing is indeed slowed down by these supplements, then such supplements are not suitable for patients scheduled for surgery.

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